Session 4

14:00 - 18:00

Netherlands II

Innovation of Health Engineering for Ageing Society
14:00 Opening: Prof. Zhiwei Luo, Kobe University
14:05 Prof. Masatoshi Takeda, Osaka University“How to Cope with Rapidly Aging Society-Prevention and Early Intervention against Alzheimer’s Disease-”
14:45 Assoc. Prof. Lena Rosenberg, Karolinska Institutet“Technology in the Hands of People with Dementia and their Significant Others”
15:25 Prof. Rumi Tanemura, Kobe University“How Can We Support Elderly People with Cognitive Impairments?”
15:55 - Coffee Break 16:10 Prof. Yasuyoshi Yokokohji, Kobe University“A Survey Method for Identifying the Real Support Needs of People
with Early-stage Dementia for Designing Assistive Technology”
16:40 Dr. Bernard Pauwels, In-HAM vzw“From ‘Doing the Things Right’ to ‘Doing the Right Things’ in Assistive Technology
for Elderly”
17:10 Dr. Emmanuel B. Vander Poorten, KU Leuven“Novel Technologies for Navigation Assistance of Robotic Wheelchairsin the EU-funded Project RADHAR”
17:30 Discussion“International Cooperation for Innovation of Health Engineering”

18The session 4 titled [Innovation of Health Engineering for Ageing Society] was organized in three parts. The ﬁrst part focused on the elderly people’s cognitive function disorder, where Prof. Masatoshi Takeda of Osaka University gave his comprehensive overview on “Howto Cope with Rapidly Aging Society, -Prevention and Early Intervention against Alzheimer’s Disease-”, followed by the presentation byAssoc. Prof. Lena Rosenberg from Karolinska Institute on “Technology in the Hands of People with Dementia and their Signiﬁcant Others”
and Prof. Rumi Tanemura of Kobe University’s research on “How Can We Support Elderly People with Cognitive Impairments?” from Japan side. The second part targeted on health engineering, here Prof. Yasuyoshi Yokokohji of Kobe University reported “A Survey Methodfor Identifying the Real Support Needs of People with Early-stage Dementia for Designing Assistive Technology”, and from EU side’s Dr.
Bernard Pauwels’s speech where he pointed an important view on “From ‘Doing the Things Right’ to ‘Doing the Right Things’ in Assistive
Technology for Elderly” and Dr. Emmanuel B. Vander Poorten in KU Leuven published his recent research on “Novel Technologies forNavigation Assistance of Robotic Wheelchairs in the EU-funded Project RADHAR”. The researchers from life science and engineering
were then had a hot discussion related to the further “International Cooperation for Innovation of Health Engineering”. The session received active questions and comments on how to promote the cooperation between EU and Japan for the aging society. The session also
accepted attentions from EU’s government, industries as well as universities. After the session, Prof. Yokokohji, Prof. Tanemura and Prof.
Luo from Kobe University also visited a practical society near Brussels, where the welfare technologies were produced and applied andthe society was enjoyed by people with Disabilities.
trial.

Masatoshi Takeda, MD, PhD

Professor and Chairman
Department of Psychiatry
Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

New style of clinical trials of disease-modifying drugfor Alzheimer’s disease is proposed and discussed, inwhich the reduction of the conversion rate from MCI todementia, or even from preclinical stage to MCI could be
used as the primary outcome of the clinical trials.
Establishment of biomarkers for early detection of pos-

“How to Cope with Rapidly Aging Society-Prevention and Early Intervention against
Alzheimer’s Disease-”
Experience of donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine has now demonstrated
limited clinical usefulness to mostof Alzheimer patients, because

sible patients is necessary and our data of APLP1 andAPLP2 peptides will be discussed as the surrogate
marker for pathological gamma-seretase activity.

Lena Rosenberg, Ph.D., OT (r)Assistant Professor at the Division of Occupational
Therapy, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

the patients may show the cognitive decline below the baseline
after one year continuous useof these symptomatic drugs. Disease-modifying drugs“Technology in the Hands of People withDementia and their Significant Others”

to slow down or suppress the pathological process ofThis presentation summarizes re-the disease is highly expected. The development ofsearch findings from our researchdisease-modifying drugs, however, has not been suc-team concerning the use of eve-cessful despite of the continuing endeavor in these 20

ryday technology and assistiveyears. Many compounds, including gamma-secretase

technology. In this research, theinhibitors, gamma-secretase modulators, and BACE

person using the technology is ininhibitors, all failed to produce good results in clinicalfocus as an active agent and user,trials. The results of the clinical trials of immunotherapy

rather than the technology per se.

for Alzheimer’s disease was released last summer withSince persons with mild/moderate stage dementia anddisappointing results. Considering these situations, there

mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often live in their ordi-

is a pessimism concerning the development of disease-nary home they will encounter a variety of technologies

modifying drugs under the present system of the clinicalthat are needed in daily activities at home and in society.

19Technology is generally seen as a resource in our socie-stitutet and Kobe U are investigating how elderly people

ties, however, our studies have shown that persons withuse everyday technology (ET) at home, with the ultimate

dementia and MCI might have difficulties in technology

aim of developing a home care system using sensors foruse and this will in turn affect their possibilities to per-elderly people with dementia. We have researched theirform activities in daily life and to participate in society.

daily life using Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire

In an attempt to facilitate participation in valuable social(ETUQ). 92 elderly people had agreed and participatedactivities for people with dementia we have recently

in our investigation.

developed a design concept for an easy to use video-

Most elderly people have trouble with TV remote con-phone. Moreover, our studies have shown that becom-trols, stoves and microwaves. So we developed an easy

ing a user of assistive technology is not self evident but

remote control as assistive technology.

takes place in a process where the person with dementia makes decisions that will be decisive for becoming auser of assistive technology or not. This process is also
influenced by the views of the person’s significant others
and the professionals involved. Finally, in order to use

Prof. Yasuyoshi Yokokohji

Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University

everyday technology and assistive technology learning
is required. This is known to be difficult for people withdementia and therefore we explore how they solve problems or maintain their knowledge of technology use, andhow they learn new.

Prof. Rumi Tanemura

Graduate School of Health Sciences, KobeUniversity“A Survey Method for Identifying the RealSupport Needs of People with Earlystage Dementia for Designing AssistiveTechnology”
In the area of welfare engineering,
various technological researchand developmental efforts havebeen made to support people withdementia. However, it is not clear
if these efforts are based on the“How Can We Support Elderly People withCognitive Impairments?”

real needs of these people. When
providing support to people withdementia, it is essential to know exactly what their real

In 2012, the population aging rateneeds are. Nevertheless, it is not easy to obtain appro-has become 23.3% and one out ofpriate answers from these people by simply asking “Howfour Japanese people are elderly.

can we help you?” In addition, it is unlikely that answers

The population aging rate will befrom these people will cover all of their support needs.

estimated at 39.9% and one out

In this talk, a survey method for identifying the realof 2.5 people will be older than

support needs of people with early-stage dementia for

65. So we have to think about ‘howmaintaining social living is presented. In order to extractelderly people can live in theirsupport needs systematically from people with demen-own house while keeping healthy?’tia, all of the activities of their daily lives are identified

Our research purposes are 1) Prevention and mainte-

at the beginning of the interview. Then, the interviewer

nance, 2) Support for their living in their own homes forbegins by asking what factors are bothering or confusing

very long, 3) Participation in society by the elderly.

the patient so that the support needs can be identified

1) Prevention: We have developed a program for pre-naturally. Potential support needs can also be elicited byvention of dementia. 92 participants had agreed to join

paying attention to the gap of the feelings of confusion

our study. We have administered our program to partici-

about certain tasks between the patient and the car-pants for 3 months. Though there were almost no varia-

egiver and/or to the gap between the predicted support

tions in cognitive functions, changes of oxyHb were re-requirement and the actual one evaluated by the patient.

corded by using a functional near-inframed spectroscopy(fNIRS) during this program. 2) Support: Karolinska In-20

Assistive technology could come here at the rescue,

Dr. Bernard Pauwels

Advisor care innovation, Sirris
advisor care innovation, In-Ham vzw
Owner, TeWeAD

provided its implementation is sufficiently generic. Solutions must be versatile, scale to a very heterogeneoususer group and should require only minimal adjustment
by and attendance of healthcare workers. In this talk theapproach that is proposed and developed in the EUfunded RADHAR project is introduced. RADHAR focus-“From ‘Doing the Things Right’ to ‘Doing theRight Things’ in Assistive Technology forElderly”

es on navigation assistance of powered wheelchairs with

In-HAM has evolved from test-

the user’s surroundings, the context, and by developing

ing and demonstrating of newtechniques to learn the user’s navigational behaviour,and existing assistive technol-

RADHAR estimates the true navigation intentions ofogy, towards personal advise on

the user. The system then steers the wheelchair along

which assistive technology to use

safe trajectories that match the estimated intentions.

and advise to the industry andSince user behaviour varies over time and from subject

research teams on what technol-to subject, RADHAR continuously learns and updates

ogy to develop, up to the current

its understanding of user and context and without input

project of assessing the needs of the elderly at homeneeded from healthcare workers, adapts its behaviour

and picking out and trying out the assistive technology

automatically to match these variations, providing navi-that will really matter in the ability to stay independent.

gation assistance tailored to each specific user at each

The innovation process in the care sector seems to beinstant in time.

users ranging from children with cognitive and physicaldisabilities towards people suffering from MS. By developing novel technology to observe and understandslow. However many projects and developments arestarted but end in most cases once the pilot project isover. Over the years In-HAM has seen many attempts
that failed for different reasons. Based on that observation we now start an in depth “needs first” approach, tomake assistive technology innovation successful. We
want to explain why we believe that this approach will
matter in the success rate of care innovation.

Dr. Emmanuel B. Vander Poorten

Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven“ N o v e l Te c h n o l o g i e s f o r N a v i g a t i o n
Assistance of Robotic Wheelchairs in theEU-funded Project RADHAR”
The ageing population poses agreat challenge to our society. Already now the number of healthcare workers is lagging behind;unable to meet the demands fromthe growing group of people thatare restricted in their daily life byphysical or cognitive limitations.

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